Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-02-03
AHyENA Ar LANCE.
Pursued by a Crowd OF Men aud
Shot Rt.

Shot nt.
The strange animal that has created SC
much interest and considerable fear
among the residents in the vicinity oil
Hockessin during the past three or four
WEEKS, ia large hyena, beyond doubt,
and very feet and wary oae at that.
The hyena .uuwiaely made its appearance
Sunday in the vicinity of Newport, aud
was followed by colored man, st a safe
and respectable distance, to Folly woods,
where 1t sought the seclusion afforded by
the brierB and brush wood. The hunter
left the animal in cover and sped to New
| port, where he spread the alarm. A
crowd of men armed with guns and other
firearms united in the hunt, and sought
| the animal in its Jungle. After some
searching through the woods 1t was
started, and being within so yards Of
some of the hunters several charges OF
shot were aimed at its yitals. None OF
the loads, however, took effect, at least
we're not felt wiki emphasis severe enough
to retard the animals escape, and it
| quilted the Folly woods at a pace which
soon distanoed the hunters, M. +.
| Hayden, who was mounted on fast
hunter and armed with big revolver,
| gave IL chase, but the ground was SO soft
| that his horse was not able to cope with the
fleet-footed hyena, although it gave the
stranger pretty lively cross country
dash. The animal showed its unfamiliarity
with the country by frequently pausing in
its flight to get its bearing and occasion
ally circling over the same area. Mr..
Hayden used every subterfuge to ap-
proach IL within pistol range, but liz
provinces and fleetness of foot kept safe
| distance between the hunter and his
quarry. There were several dogs with
the Newport hunters, but they did not
show sufficient interest in natural history
| to approach the hyena or to follow itt
| trail.
The animal is described by Mr.. Hayden
as being between three and four feet high
| of a dirty brown color mottled with
white patches across the saddle and over
| it's hind quarters. II has shaggy coat,
small ears and sharp nose. The animal
slopes away from the fore quarters Is
step hipped and its hind legs are much
| shorter than the front ones. Its gait ID
an easy lope and its speed is very great.
II is proposed to organize o party 70
capture the animal, the hunter efecting
its death to take the pelt as his reward.
PROBABLY THE SAME ANIMAL BEEN ON THE
| DELAWARE CITY RAILROAD.
| Special Correspondence Of Gazette and Journal
NEWARK, Feb. 1.-The creduIity OF
Newark people Is certainly taxed to an
extreme degree during this panther reign
| of terror. The animals heetness of foot
il not its identity, is clearly established
by its appearance yesterday morning in
Purgatory woods about three miles south
| of here and on the line of the Newark q
Delaware City railroad.
The facts as related to your correspon-
dent by John Rupp, the section boss on
this road, are substantially as follows
1--WE were returning from dinner on q
hand-car towards Cooch's station, to do
some work there, and were making lively
| time on the down grade through this
dense woods, when one of the men work.
| ing the lever OF the CIR suddenly threw
up his hands and gave a vigorous
| exclamation of surprise and fear as he
| pointed to strange looking animal
crouched along the fence not over 30 feet
| from the track We were then almost
upon it and oLe oftht men, fearing to pass
within mile OF it, put OH the brake and
topped it abruptly, and made rapid
ime in the opposite direction. The other
men stood their ground taking long
ook at the inotionless animal. They
liffer in their estimates of itt
length, but think it was
about feet long, of brown color and
covered with white spots. We were oil
armed with shovels, picks, crowbars and
other paraphernalia of a railroad mans
equipment and decided to attack it, and
moved in its direction with hesitancy
born of fear. We had not proceeded
many feet when it gave hideous yell
and In one leap cleared five rail fence
bounding over the track and disappearing
in the woodn.
He,further informed your correspond
emit that he measured the leap and found
il to be 10 feet and inches long. The
men organized hunt, but were unable
to find it again before darkness overlook
them. To day, however, the most for
midable party which has yet searched fol
this ubiquitous animal will start on it,
trail, and if guns, revolvers, kniv> ant
talk are of any avail, will bring IFS Skin
home as proud trophy.